1. Find and set the location of the Dock – Click on Apple icon in top left corner of screen. Scroll down and click on "System Preferences". Find Desktop and Dock. In the top portion labeled DOCK, you can change the magnification and size of your Dock. You can also adjust the Minimize Window. You can also choose to hide the dock so it will only show when you move your mouse cursor to the bottom of your screen.
2. Set the speed of the mouse/cursor – Click on Apple icon in top left corner of screen. Scroll down and click on “System Preferences.” Scroll down to the very bottom of the screen - find the word Mouse and click on it. Here you can change the tracking speed (turn it up so you can move your cursor from one side of the screen to the other without having to pick up your mouse), increase your double click speed (do not make it the fastest possible please), and you can adjust your scrolling speed (generally students like it a little faster, do not increase it as high as possible). You should also UNCHECK the box that says natural scrolling. Finally, click on the button that says Might Mouse Settings. When that box opens, where the RIGHT CLICK is, use the drop down to change it to from Primary button to Secondary Button. Do not change anything else.
3. Open Chrome and save a bookmark on the Bookmarks Bar – Click on the icon in your dock for Google Chrome. Chrome will work for most applications we will be using in this class. There may be times when I specifically instruct you to use a different browser, like Safari or even Firefox, but this is rare and only for specific assignments.
4. Creating/Naming a folder – To create a folder on a Mac, use one of the following options.
1. Keyboard shortcut (recommended) – hold “command” + “shift” and press “N” key.
2. Click on desktop to activate “Finder.” On the menu bar, click “File” and scroll down to “New Folder.”
3. “Right click” your mouse and click on “New Folder” in pop-up menu.
To name a folder, click ONCE on the text underneath the folder. When the text for the folder’s name becomes highlighted, you can edit the name of the folder. Or you can "right-click" and find "Rename"
5. Finding downloaded items – All downloaded files automatically are placed in the “Downloads” folder, which is located in your Dock. Click on the “Downloads” folder to see the various files that have been downloaded.
6. Viewing/Switching between applications – The current version of the Mac operating system features a “Full Screen” viewing mode for certain applications. You can tell if a program is in “Full Screen” mode if the program window completely covers your screen. You can exit full screen mode by pressing the “esc” button on the top left corner of your keyboard. I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING “FULL SCREEN” MODE for typical use in our classroom. It will cause problems and make your life miserable in this class.
Below are some tips on switching between programs on Mac.
1. To open commonly used programs, click once on the program icon in the “Dock.”
2. To see all of the program windows you currently have open, press “F3.”
3. To quickly open other applications, press “F4.”
4. To hide an active application to see the desktop or another program, press “command” + “H” key. Return to the program by clicking on its icon in the Dock.
5. To quickly switch between open applications, press “command” + “tab.”
6. To quickly hide all open windows, press “fn” + “F11.” Press it again to restore open windows.
7. Using the “Finder” – The Finder is what you use to navigate through folders and files on a Mac.
1. To open a new Finder window, click on the Smile Face icon in your “Dock” or use “command” + “N” keyboard shortcut.
2. To adjust how files are displayed, click on the buttons at the top of the window just above the file names. There are four different ways to view folders.
a. As an icon. You can adjust the size of icons by adjusting the slider in the bottom right corner of the Finder window.
b. As a list.
c. As columns.
d. In “Cover Flow” mode, which provides an image preview of your file.
3. Each different mode of viewing files and folders has different uses. Learn to use all four of them to effectively use the Mac.
Anytime we create a new document, please make sure that you save it there, this will include photos, design files, etc. You are responsible for all your work, which means creating back-ups. I highly recommend you use Google Drive to back up work. Some people might even go to the extreme of saving your work folder from your desktop to a portable/thumb drive. I am not responsible for lost work.
We will also use Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, or even Forms throughout this semester. Much of your work will go directly into your Google Site, which you will create later today, but longer pieces over a period of days will be written in Google Docs and automatically saved in your Google Drive. You will be able to turn in that work as a shared file LINK. I will show you how to share properly and it is crucial you share your work correctly. Any work not shared properly cannot be graded and you will suffer point deductions appropriate to how long it takes that to be correct. Please see my blog for further information.
9. Printing – There are two methods to print.
1. Keyboard shortcut – “command” + “P”
2. Click on “File” in menu bar and click on “Print.”
I am working on file sharing the printer that is for student use. This always takes me a little bit of time at the start of the year. I will let you know when your machines are able to print. If you need something printed, please let me know. I am happy to help, but for now you will need to share the item you need printed with me via email.
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